3 hair myths that are actually true

In our last post we brought you the four hair myths that definitely had no truth to them, despite what you were told as a child. But you’d be wrong to assume that just because some hair myths are just that- myths- that they’re all the same. Curious to know which hair myths you should actually believe? Read on to find out…

Myth 1: Stress causes your hair to fall out

TRUE

Now in our last post, we talked about the popular saying that sounds something like: “You’re making me go grey with the stress!” (parents of particularly hectic children, we’re looking at you). This is a lie; you can’t go grey from stress- however stress can cause hair loss. This is because stress can increase your body’s production of adrenaline, which can then be converted into cholesterol. This cholesterol raises your body’s levels of testosterone, a hormone which is responsible for causing hair loss and/or thinning. There is no way to treat hair loss caused by stress, other than going to the root (no pun intended) of the cause and treating the stress itself.

Myth 2: Sleeping with your hair down will make it grow faster

TRUE

Although sleeping with your hair down isn’t some magical spell that will make your hair grow at ten times its normal rate, there is some truth behind the myth that sleeping with your hair down will help growth. This is because many people who tie their hair up before bed often tie it too tight, meaning that the hair is pulled while you are tossing and turning in bed, and can cause additional breakage if you already experience thinning or hair loss. If you want to tie your hair up (and there’s nothing wrong with doing this, per se), make sure it’s in a loose bun or braid.

Myth 3: Dying your hair whilst pregnant can cause harm to your baby

TRUE

High doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm to your baby, so while they should not be toxic, it’s safer to wait until you’ve passed the 12-week mark before you consider dying your hair. If you’re going to dye your hair from home- which we don’t recommend, especially not while pregnant- make sure you lower the risk of harm by wearing gloves, leaving the dye on for a minimum time, and working in a well-ventilated room. You can also stick to natural alternatives such as henna during pregnancy, if you want to stay on the safe side.